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Altamaha Technical College
Toll Free: (800) 645-8284
Phone: (912) 427-5800
Fax: (912) 427-5823
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College funding approved 4-2011

College funding approved

Camden County secured a major component of its economic development plans on Tuesday when the Georgia Legislature approved initial funding for a local technical college campus.

Legislators approved $1.2 million in 20-year bonds that will be used to construct an academic building for the Camden Campus of Altamaha Technical College (ATC). The college is temporarily sharing space with College of Coastal Georgia in Kingsland, resulting in tight quarters for both schools.

"The new campus of Altamaha Technical College will bring the technical and vocational training our local economy needs to develop a skilled workforce and attract more industry," said David Keating, director of the Camden County Joint Development Authority. "The college will employ approximately 75 full- and part-time staff, but more important are the future jobs the college will create through training and placement of our citizens. Altamaha Technical College is a critical part of Camden County’s Economic Development Strategy."

The new ATC campus site,located off Harrietts Bluff Road near the Interstate 95 interchange at Exit 7, was donated by the Gross family.

Armed with a commitment of donated land, the Camden County Chamber of Commerce led a group of local leaders to the state capitol earlier this year to lobby for funding to move the project forward.

Comprising representatives from business, government and education, the group visited Atlanta to persuade state decision-makers that easy access to technical education would make the area more enticing to major employers looking to locate in Georgia. It also would help close the skills gap and enable local residents to compete for well paying jobs at Kings Bay Naval Submarine Base.

According to the Camden County Joint Development Authority, thousands of civil service employees will be retiring over the next several years at Kings Bay.

Lorette Hoover, president of the Jesup-based ATC, commended local leaders for successfully illustrating the need for the campus.

"Because of the diligent efforts of the Camden County Atlanta Fly-In Group, our legislative delegation, ATC’s Board of Directors, ATC Foundation Trustees, community supporters, and of course the Gross family, weare well on our way to building a continuum of educational services from high school, to Altamaha Technical College, to senior college that will meet the needs of the employers and the citizens of Camden and surrounding communities," she said in a written statement.

Hoover also extended a special thanks to State Rep.Jason Spencer and State Sen.William Ligon "for bringing together both sides of the legislature to make this happen.""It’s another exciting day for Camden," she added.

Chamber president Christine Daniel said the efforts of the chamber’s Government Community Affairs Committee over the last two years have paid dividends for the community.

"Last year, during our first trip (to Atlanta), we were able to present a signed proclamation to the governor supporting the need for Altamaha Technical College having a satellite campus in our community,"Daniel said in an earlier interview.

The proclamation, approved by all three local cities, the county and the naval base,signaled an unprecedented level of cooperation among the various stakeholders in the community, she said.

This week, many of those same leaders are attending the Washington, D.C., Fly-In to lobby national leaders on issues of importance to Camden County and Kings Bay.

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